This invention relates to a pager receiver or paging receiver for use in a paging system. The pager receiver having a display unit which is capable of providing visual displays, such as a message.
A conventional pager receiver of the type described is supplied with a radio call signal of various types from a transmitting station of the system. For example, a call signal may consist only of a call number signal without being accompanied by a message signal and will therefore be named a message-free call signal hereafter. A call signal may comprise a call number signal and a message signal carrying a message to be displayed by the display unit. A call signal including a message signal may be repeatedly sent from the transmitting station in order to display the same message again and again. Such repeatedly sent signals will be referred to collectively as a repeat call hereinafter. Preferably, the pager receiver has a plurality of predetermined call numbers preassigned thereto. In this event, the pager receiver responds to a plurality of call signals including call number signals specifying the predetermined call numbers, respectively.
At any rate, most of such conventional pager receivers cause audible tones specifying the call number signals and provides a visual display in response to each message signal. Another conventional pager receiver can display an indication representative of the repeat call by the use of the display unit.
However, each of the conventional pager receivers is disadvantageous or inconvenient in the following respects. At first, a user may not be rapidly aware or conscious of reception of the repeat call even when the repeat call is indicated by the display unit. As a result, the user may look over the message because the repeat call is informed by the use of the same tone signal as a non-repeat call. Inasmuch as the repeat call usually carries an important message, such unawareness raises a serious problem.
Second, when the user is remote from the pager receiver on reception of the message-free call signal and can not hear a tone signal, it is difficult for the user to perceive the reception of the message free call signal because such a tone signal can not be produced again.
Third, when a plurality of call numbers are preassigned to each pager receiver and specified by the tone signals peculiar to the respective call numbers, a user new to the pager receiver may not be aware of a difference between the tone signals. Inasmuch as one of the call numbers is often used in an emergency or the like, such unawareness becomes serious and crucial.
Furthermore, when a sequence of messages is successively stored in a memory included in the pager receiver, the memory must have a large memory capacity in order to repeatedly display one of the messages in response to the repeat call. Otherwise, the one message may be lost because the messages are successively rewritten on reception of each message from an oldest one thereof.